Michael Jackson Immortal tour hits DCU for two shows

A guitar prodigy, Desiree Bassett of Ashford, Conn., had been accepted at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

But before she showed up for her first classes, an opportunity presented itself that Bassett couldn't turn down. Greg Phillinganes, music director of Cirque du Soleil's pending "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour," offered her a role in the show as lead guitarist.

The tour hit the ground running in Montreal in October 2011, and is still rolling along, returning to the DCU Center (the show was also here in May 2012) for two performances, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Bassett, 21, has been with the show from the start, toured the world with it, and plans on sticking around. "Until the tour ends," she said during a recent telephone interview. "I'm not really sure when it ends."

The estate of Michael Jackson (who died in 2009) and Cirque du Soleil (the French-Canadian "Circus of the Sun'') came together to create the "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour." The show has Jackson's voice singing through the sound system; his songs (more than 30); a live band that includes Bassett along with musicians who performed with Jackson; a huge cast of dancers and performers, underscored by aerial performance, driving acrobatics and vivid choreographies; and multiple screens. Trademark Jackson and Cirque visuals and fantasy blend together, according to the show's director of creation, Chantal Tremblay, in a previous interview. "It's a show about him, with him. It's a fusion of Cirque du Soleil plus a big rock touring concert."

To put it another way, "It's been a really fun experience. It's mind-blowing for me," said Bassett.

Since listening to Jackson's music from childhood, Bassett had always been a fan. But she didn't know how much of a fan she was going to become. "On the tour, I've been able to feel the music and get a better understanding of who he was as a person," she said. "It's made me 10 million more times a fan."

Jackson started out young musically, and so did Bassett.

She said she started playing the guitar when she was 3 years old. "I just gravitated, not knowing how to play it, really." She was encouraged by her parents, and soon was correcting her father, Daniel Bassett, when they were playing guitar together.

At 8, her father took her to perform in a talent show. "It was a little nerve-wracking, but I said 'I can really do this.' I forgot about people watching."

A year later she started taking lessons in the University of Connecticut music program.

In 2005 she was selected as one of 16 finalists at the Olympics of Entertainment in New York City. She performed at the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, bringing up Jimi Hendrix's original percussionist Geraldo Velez to end the night with "Purple Haze." She has shared the stage with such artists as Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, The Marshall Tucker Band and members of the Allman Brothers.

Phillinganes is a keyboard player who toured with Michael Jackson and many other well-known artists, and was the musical director for Jackson's "Bad" and "Dangerous" concert tours.

While casting his net for The Immortal tour, he saw Bassett's YouTube performance videos. Bassett said Phillinganes called her father. Coincidentally, Bassett was home listening to Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." When her father said to her a few minutes later "you won't believe the opportunity" that was just presenting itself, Bassett replied right away "Michael Jackson."

The band, with Jackson's drummer Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett providing the beat, performs the songs from the original recordings (with some variations), although the players cut loose in terms of movement on stage.

Bassett said rehearsals lasted 2½ months. "It was a lot of work. A lot of long hours."

Besides enhancing her appreciation of Jackson, being involved with the tour has been a tremendous learning experience, she said. "I'm a better player. It's expanded my knowledge."

The show has performed to an audience of more than 2 million worldwide. With the show coming back to the DCU Center, Bassett will be close to home again. Ashford is only 40 minutes from Worcester, and she's been here many times, she said.

When the tour ends, Bassett said she wants to focus on her own music, which, in addition to playing guitar, includes writing, singing and playing bass, drums and keyboards.